Spaceflight @sh.itjust.works threelonmusketeers @sh.itjust.works 1 day ago

China unveils fully reusable Starship-like rocket concept

spacenews.com China unveils fully reusable Starship-like rocket concept

HELSINKI — China’s main space contractor has unveiled a fully reusable rocket concept, reminiscent of SpaceX’s Starship, designed to support its grandest ambitions for space. The new concept …

14 comments

What's the diameter? Starship is 9m, but it looks like this one is smaller? Also, what material are they using? If it's stainless, why paint it?
- why paint it?
  
  To hide the bondo.
Hopefully these reusable concepts will come to fruition soon.

It would be nice to reduce the frequency of situations like this:

(2024-06-22 Long March 2C launch of the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) X-ray telescope out of Xichang, in case you're curious.)
- That one deeeeefintiely isn't getting reused.
  
  Also, that's an interesting colour of smoke, probably venting oxidizer like mad.
  
  Hypergolic oxidizer, dinitrogen tetroxide, one of the most carcinogenic substances known to man.
China unveils their totally original and not stolen “Buran” shuttle.
- I support everyone's right to steal from Elon.
  
  Buran is an old Soviet design, nothing to do with Elon, as far as I know.
  
  Elon didn’t build Starship, underpaid engineers did. And China steals from everybody.
- Have they actually, or is this just a continuation of the joke?

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